DETROIT, MI - Nelson Allen, an 11-year-old Detroit resident, said that the tournament he played in this weekend should help him with developing his skills toward a long-term goal of playing his favorite sport at the University of Michigan.

He is not unique among Detroit youths in having such aspirations, though many people say the sport he chose is a rare one among minority youth: ice hockey.

“Hockey’s my favorite,” Allen said at the First Annual Ice Dreams Invitational: A Tribute to Black Ice. The three-day tournament last weekend at Jack Adams Arena and Clark Park in Detroit invited youth hockey players from Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio to a friendly tournament with teams in Detroit.

Though Allen plays baseball too, he said ever since his father got him on to the ice when he was four years old he has loved the game of ice hockey. Last weekend’s tournament, he said, helped players “learn new things.”

“I think the tournament is great for kids who haven’t been playing hockey – it’s their first experience and stuff like that,” he said.

The tournament was organized by Jason McCrimmon, a recently retired hockey pro who was the first black player to captain a team in Finland. McCrimmon, who grew up in Detroit, also played with the Flint Generals.

“We’re trying to pay homage to those guys that were playing hockey way back in the day,” McCrimmon said. “It was tough for those guys and it’s tough for the guys coming up now.”

Through Sports Dreams, McCrimmon said he and others are trying to grow the sport of ice hockey among minority youth in Detroit.

“We let them know it is an attainable goal financially, mentally and physically,” he said.
He added, “We’re trying to prove to the city that you got to have it. I understand it’s not basketball or football, but we’re a different avenue to keep kids off the street.”

Two of the teams participating in the inaugural Ice Dreams Hockey Invitational pose for picture at Clark Park on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Next Winter, McCrimmon said he expects to have another Ice Dreams Invitational, considering the inaugural year a success with 27 diversity groups and more than 70 players involved.

In the interim, McCrimmon, 29, said he will stay busy trying to expand youth hockey programs in Detroit as a way to help inner city kids enjoy what he calls a universal culture of ice hockey.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re white or black,” he said. “Hockey players have different connection and that can carry over into your everyday life.”